Add vertical interest to your yard with fall-planted vines

You may think the gardening season ends soon or that the autumn planting of spring bulbs is your only fall garden chore. Depending on your location, you may have many planting choices still available. Fall is a great time to plant many trees, shrubs, perennials and vines. Vines add vertical interest and color to areas that may otherwise be drab and dull. Grab some seeds or cuttings and start some vines in your yard for flowers and foliage next year.

Ipomoea

This family of vines includes many with attractive flowers and a fast-growing habit. Morning glories are part of the Ipomoea family, as are sweet potato vines. Other Ipomoea are the red-flowering cardinal climber and cypress vine.

These twining vines range from annual plants which re-seed to long-lasting perennials. Plant them in full sun and fertile soil. Water well during dry winters.

Large blooms appear at night when growing moonflower vines, another member of the family. This perennial specimen, often grown as an annual, features fragrant flowers and heart-shaped leaves. Nick the seeds and soak overnight before fall planting.

Honeysuckles are tough and ornamental evergreen vines that add flowering color in all four seasons. Lonicera varieties bloom in spring, summer, fall, and possibly winter, depending on where you live. Lonicera sempervirens, with orange trumpet shaped blooms, is sweetly fragrant. Lonicera xylesteum is a dwarf variety that can also be grown as a shrub. Lonicera varieties offer a range of flower colors and blue-green foliage.

Plant honeysuckle in full sun to part shade in moist, organic soil that drains well. Yearly pruning for shape is needed for most honeysuckle vines and shrubs.

Virginia creeper

This vining plant is grown for colorful foliage that turns reddish in autumn. Flowers are insignificant on the Virginia creeper, but bluish-black berries attract birds. Plant this specimen from cuttings or from seed in any soil, including rocky spots with lean soil. Virginia creeper grows in sun or shade and climbs rapidly on tendrils that attach to any available support. When no support is available, this plant sprawls as a groundcover.

Fruit vines

Autumn is the best time to plant bare root fruit vines, such as grapes. Plant these when the vines are dormant. If roots have dried out, soak them overnight before planting. Provide support for fruit vines and water well during the winter.

Don't resist the urge to garden when temperatures cool. Research your area to learn which plants are best started in autumn.

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Becca loves everything green and growing, both in the garden and the greenhouse. Here, she shares timely tips to make your gardening experience easier and more productive. Questions? Contact her at Becca's Blooms on Facebook or read her popular book, How to Grow an Emergency Garden, available on Amazon.